Experts View Lady Gaga’s Body Revolution as a Good Thing

Rather than attack critics that have ridiculed her for her recent weight gain, Lady Gaga took the power back by launching Body Revolution 2013, where she posted unaltered photos of herself and her body, prompting her dedicated throng of little monsters to follow suit. It's sparking a tremendous dialogue and discussion, all the while helping to debunk body image myths. Experts have weighed in to celebrate the Gaga-generated movement for how much it can help girls struggling with their weight or who have distorted images of their bodies.

MTV collected opinions for top experts in the field of eating disorders, and the consensus is that she is doing a good thing on many levels. Gaga is a cultural lightning rod, so the fact that she posted half-naked images of herself could have been met with even more criticism, but for people who work in this very field, she is going above and beyond the pop star call of duty.

"In terms of the fact that her reach is so huge, it's just a critical thing to have someone who is willing to speak out about really unrealistic standards and that incredible pressure to be thin often at the expense of health," said Susie Roman, director of programs at the National Eating Disorders Association. "From our perspective, it's really a step in the right direction when a celebrity like Lady Gaga is willing to do something like launch her Body Revolution campaign and really make statements to advocate for overall health as she did in her 'thank you' letter, rather than focus on the pressure to be thin, which is just such a wonderful message for so many people who struggle with these issues in terms of developing healthier self-esteem and well-being."

Essentially, given Gaga's sphere of influence and the exponential size of her audience, especially in the social media realm, she can reach many, many people and to use her fame for good.

Laura Discipio, executive director at the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, pointed out that Gaga is sparking a discussion and a dialogue and bringing attention to critical issues.

"Talking about eating disorders, talking about body image, talking about how women are viewed in the media, whether you like Lady Gaga's music or not, it still at least gets attention for it. I think it definitely can help. It's getting people the chance to stop and think," she said.

Discipio continued, "I have no idea how much she weighs, but it's just sad that someone's going to sit there and think, 'Wow, look what people are saying about her. She's this great famous celebrity; she's smaller than me. What do people think about me?'"